Bellevue School District, T-Mobile, Other Bellevue Businesses Honored for Recycling Efforts

Bellevue School District, T-Mobile, the city of Bellevue and others were among 16 Bellevue businesses named among the 2012 "Best Workplaces for Recycling and Waste Reduction," according to the King County’s Solid Waste Division.

According to the solid waste dvision, the list recognizes businesses that are among the top recyclers and waste reducers.

“From recycling Styrofoam and cell phones to creating new programs for composting, the innovation these organizations have shown proves that sound environmental practices can go hand-in-hand with a successful business,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine in a prepared statement.

The solid waste division's website includes tips from honorees on how to improve recycling and reduce waste.

The Bellevue School District gave the following advice for reducing waste at a schooll district:

“For other school districts, we recommend that you require recycling at all sites and require all schools to form a team that will participate in the program. Follow up with recycling promotion by downsizing garbage Dumpsters to immediately start cutting costs, and encourage reuse of materials and waste reduction in addition to recycling. Make sure to include top level support, including superintendents.”

Bellevue orthodontist Jeffrey Schur told the solid waste division that waste reduction saves money:

“We’ve found that waste reduction generally means overhead reduction. We’ve also found that many consumers in the Pacific Northwest are environmentally conscious, and we receive good feedback regarding our efforts and certifications.”

Last year, businesses in King County sent more than 180,000 tons of recyclable materials to the landfill. The division named 92 businesses to its sixth annual list this year.

Bellevue honorees

CDM Smith, Inc

CH2M Hill

CHS Engineers, LLC

David Evans and Associated, Inc

Printex Press

Roth Hill, LLC

T-Mobile USA

According to the solid waste division, all King County businesses outside the city of Seattle are eligible for the list. To secure their spot, businesses are required to meet the same five basic criteria, as well as 10 additional waste reduction and recycling criteria, such as using reusable or compostable dishware in kitchens, collecting batteries for recycling or sending electronic invoices.

To learn more about the program, contact Karen May at 206-296-4353, or karen.may@kingcounty.gov.